


Let You Down

by little_bean



Series: Lucifer Prompts [3]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Angst, Deckerstar - Freeform, Established Relationship, F/M, Murder Mystery, One Shot, Post-Season/Series 03, Prompt Fill, Supernatural Elements, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-19
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2019-06-12 16:50:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15344196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/little_bean/pseuds/little_bean
Summary: John Decker's soul gets possessed by evil spirit and returned to hunt down Chloe, believing she was the cause of his death. Lucifer will stop at nothing to protect the Detective, even it means dragging the corrupted soul back to hell and never seeing Chloe again.Or: Sometimes, you can't always keep your promise.





	Let You Down

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kanshou87](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kanshou87/gifts).



> This is my first *requested* prompt fill, and I'm so excited to release it to the world! Apologies to the requester (kanshou87) that it took so long, I'm not the fastest writer... but I hope this lives up to any expectations :D

“Decker, I’m not taking no for an answer.”

Tightening her fists behind her back, Chloe takes the new Lieutenant’s orders silently, giving her a nod before retreating from the office. Attempting to stay calm until she’s out of line of sight, Chloe breathes in and out evenly. Once she makes it to her own desk, she kicks at her chair. 

“Damn, Chloe! What’s gotten into you?” Ella asks, walking by with a stack of files and papers of forensic reports. She can barely see over the pile; Chloe can only catch a glimpse of the scientist’s eyes peering at her with concern.

Grinding her teeth, Chloe lets out, “The Lieutenant wants me to take a few days off. She thinks the last case was too emotional, and might have left a ‘traumatic stamp’ on my mind,” she emphasizes with air quotes. “She ordered me to take the few days rest to relax and go to therapy. But she doesn’t know me! She doesn’t know what I’ve seen, what I can deal with!” She pokes herself in the chest. 

By ‘what she’s seen,’ of course she means the revelation that her partner, Lucifer Morningstar, is the Devil. And boy, if anything was groundbreaking in her life’s contemplations, it was that monster of an earthquake.

But she is fine now. More than fine. 

A hand sneaks around her waist. “Yes, I think all of us in the original gang can attest to that statement, Detective.” Lucifer purrs into her ear, leaning down to stoop to her height.

“Aww,” Ella coos, admiring the two of them. Chloe blushes down to her neck, still not used to the PDA’s Lucifer seems to be comfortable with. She looks at Chloe. “But what’s wrong with a few days off, paid?”

“Because,” Chloe tries to concentrate as Lucifer sniffs her ear, “I don’t want to spend my time going to therapy when I don’t need. It’s much more useful catching more unlawful citizens in our city.”

Lucifer straightens behind her, prompting Chloe to peer up at him. “Well, isn’t your spawn on vacation with Daniel at the moment?”

Scrunching her brows, Chloe says, “yes, that is true. But I don’t see how that’s releva-” 

Clapping, Lucifer smiles. “Then why don’t we take a little vacation of our own? You’ll still be relaxing, as per your superior’s orders, but you won’t be wasting your time, as you’ll be spending it with me.”

“That’s a really good deal, Chloe,” Ella speaks up again from over her papers. “I think you should take it. But then, what do I know?” She whistles, walking towards her lab.

Hands in his pocket, Lucifer sure does look damn pleased with himself at his idea. “So, what do you say, Detective?”

Pretending to ponder a moment, Chloe taps her chin with one extended finger. Then she steps into Lucifer’s personal space, hand crawling up his button up slowly. When she reaches his collar, she can see the hunger in his eyes.

“I’m not sure,” she says, voice low. “How about you ask me again?”

Of course, he knows what she wants.

“What do you say, _Chloe_?”

How could she say no?

* * *

The groceries jostle in Chloe’s arms in time with her long stride. The evening is still bright, and the sky is cloudless, paralleling her state of mind. Lucifer told her to buy some food so he could prepare an extravagant meal for the two of them, and when his cooking is involved, Chloe is always on board.

She can barely contain her excitement as she walks down the parking lot back to her Ford. She can’t wait to return to her apartment, where Lucifer waits for her, and only her. Maze is out on a bounty, so they have the entire place to themselves, which hasn’t happened in what feels like weeks.

Finally at her car, Chloe juggles the bags from two arms to one in order to reach into her front pocket and find her keys. As she clicks the ‘unlock’ button, the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She knows this feeling. Any seasoned cop knows this feeling.

One bag in hand, Chloe stands still. First, without moving her head, her eyes scan the parking lot. Reminding herself to act normally, she moves to open her car while continuing her surveillance. Three other people return to their cars; a couple unloads a grocery cart. She turns her head, slowly, to get a full view of the lot.

But the feeling has passed.

Maybe she’s just being paranoid.

Or maybe the case did get to her.

Trying to shake off her anxiety, Chloe closes the trunk and zooms home.

“Lucifer?” She calls, pushing the door open with her back.

“Chloe!” her heart soars at hearing her name in his silly accent, no inhibition of others surrounding them. Lucifer rushes to her, helping with her load. Placing the bags on the counter, Lucifer grabs Chloe by her shoulders and brings her in for a quick kiss.

Initially taken by surprise, Chloe’s eyes widen. She knows the strides he’s made since first arriving on earth ---flinching away from her touch, allowing her to hug him, initiating kisses himself--- but Lucifer’s intimacy still catches her off guard sometimes. And then she gets lost in the feeling of his lips on hers, and she closes her eyes, dropping the car keys in her hand in exchange for wrapping her arms around his slim waist.

As Lucifer tries to pull away, Chloe latches on harder, squeezing her hands at the small of his back. She can feel him smile against her mouth, murmuring “Well well.” She just smiles, enjoying herself. Pressing her hands on his back, Chloe draws a line up his spine. Lucifer shivers under her, and he growls, crushing his lips down. Gaining a good hold on his shoulders, Chloe hops up, trusting Lucifer to catch her. He holds her up as if she weighs nothing, walking her to the counter. Now at equal heights, Chloe practically attacks him. She bites his upper lip, eliciting a soft groan from her favorite devil. Lucifer’s tongue swipes her mouth, asking for entrance, which she readily gives.

She can’t get close enough to him. Crossing her ankles, Chloe holds him tight, smashing her chest to his. Her fingers clutch at the nape of his hair, messing up his tamed curls. Lucifer’s hands are sliding up and down Chloe’s body, leaving a trail of heat that reaches the base of her stomach. He dips her, deepening the kiss. To maintain her balance, Chloe swings out an arm.

_Crash!_

Chloe breaks away to turn to the source of the commotion. A can of tomato paste rolls on the floor in front of them, thankfully unopened. The reminder of food sparks Chloe’s stomach to growl, telling her just how hungry she is.

Smiling sheepishly at Lucifer, Chloe says, “Oops. I think we got a bit carried away.”

Brushing down his jacket, Lucifer tries to hide the slight blush on his cheeks. He smiles at Chloe with a look of pure euphoria. “Anytime, I am happy to get carried away with you.” He looks at the tomato paste can on the ground. “But maybe we should get started on that dinner.

Hopping off the counter, Chloe bends to pick up the stray can. “So, what will we be making?

The grin Lucifer shoots Chloe is childlike, enthusiasm drawing lines on his face. “My famous meat sauce! One hundred percent guaranteed to make anyone’s mouth water.”

Chloe stares at Lucifer. He just stares back, grinning.

“Get it?”

“…”

“ _Meat_ sauce, guaranteed to---“

“Yes, I get it!” Chloe interrupts him, trying to hold back a laugh while rolling her eyes.

Lucifer’s grin falls as his focus turns inwards. Then he bursts out laughing, unable to not appreciate his own innuendo. Draping an arm around Chloe’s shoulders, he walks her to the kitchen, still laughing.

“Sometimes I think I’m too brilliant for this Universe.”

“And that’s why I’m here, to remind you otherwise,” Chloe snidely responds.

Yet she can’t help keeping the smile from her face, nor the twinkle in her eyes as Lucifer describes the process for making the meal.

After dinner (which was truly mouth-watering, Lucifer hadn’t been exaggerating) Lucifer and Chloe retreat to her bedroom, forgetting about the dishes. What happens there is a mix of love, devotion, intense feelings, and a level of trust Chloe never knew she could achieve.

Sighing, Chloe watches Lucifer’s chest rise and fall peacefully in his sleep.

She finds herself smiling again.

How did she get so lucky?

* * *

She still ponders that same question as her and Lucifer walk, hand in hand, through Griffith park the next day. Lucifer drones on and on about the order of angels: the seraphim, the cherubim, and then the ophanim. He goes into great detail, explain how that he himself used to a Seraph, the highest of the Seraphim, even, being an archangel, but petty humans place him as a lowly cherub most of the time. She’s heard this rant before, so she doesn’t feel bad zoning out, allowing herself to admire his devotion to his past.

Gesticulating now, Chloe laughs at the ridiculous faces Lucifer makes when explaining the antics he and Azrael used to get into when pulling pranks on Michael.

Guiding him to a bench, Chloe nuzzles up to Lucifer, resting her head on his shoulder. His muscles release the tension of his life before her, bringing her happiness that she can help him relax and recall his former life in a better light than when she had met him. Then when he had first explained everything to her. 

Reduced to silence, the pair simply sit, content in each other’s company. Absent-mindedly, Lucifer rubs his thumb up and down the top of her hand.

People pass them by, enjoying the park as they are. Couples, families, joggers, and groups of friends, all taking in the morning rays of sun light. As a pack of people pass in front of them, Chloe jumps up from her relaxed position. There was a familiar face in that group, one that shouldn’t be, couldn’t be…

“Detective? Is everything all right?”

Lucifer places a comforting hand on her thigh, bringing her back to him as she whips her head around frantically, trying to find whatever she had seen. But it’s gone.

Blinking, Chloe turns to Lucifer. “Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. I just thought I saw… well, I’m not sure, anymore,” she admits.

He scrutinizes her, dark eyes serious as he seems to read into her very soul. Maybe he _can_ read her soul, she’s never inquired about his abilities before. She just accepted that he could do his hypnotic trick, and left it at that. She should probably find out. But not now, no… she’s too shaken by what just happened, by not even knowing what happened, that she can’t dive into how inhuman Lucifer is at the moment, at least in that regard. She doesn’t want to think about how superior he is to her. How lowly she must be in comparison to him, how little she must seem in his view of the universe.

She’s spiraling now, deep into an abyss that has no end, and Lucifer reads that on her face as he reads her soul. His eyes are pure concern now. Shifting on the bench, he turns to face her completely. Taking both of her small hands in his large ones, he makes her look up in his heavy eyes.

“Something’s bothering you, Chloe,” he whispers, barely audible. There’s a slight squeeze on their joined hands. “Is it… is it me?”

The fact that he would default the source of her pain to be _him_ breaks Chloe. But isn’t that true? Wasn’t she just contemplating his existence?

“No,” she says, not lying. “It’s _me_.” Shaking her head, she removes her hands from his grasp. She clenches and unclenches at the air, feeling its sharp chilling touch. She doesn’t want to talk about this, she’d already decided that. Lucifer seems pacified by her response, sensing the truth in her words. He may not know what price that truth came with, but he smiles at her. A sad smile.

“Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?” Tentatively, he covers her hand with his, asking to reignite their contact. His want, his desire, should tell her that her previous thoughts were meaningless. Regardless of what he is, of what she is, they crave each other. That should be enough.

It is enough.

Returning his smile with one more positive, Chloe brushes her free hand up and down his shoulder. “Can you tell me about your home in Hell? Who else was there, besides damned souls and Maze?”

Like a puppy, Lucifer lights up just from her touch. Leaning down he presses his forehead to Chloe’s, breathing in the atmosphere around her. He presses a quick kiss to her head, then settles in to the bench with a sigh.

“I didn’t fall on my own,” he begins, looking up to the sky with a look that extends farther than the clouds. “I’m not stupid, I know you can’t rage war on my Father with one person. Although most of my siblings were unable to see the wisdom of my thoughts, of my question of free will, I was able to convince them to simply question the ways that the Silver City was being run.”

The weight of Chloe’s inquiry hits her now, hard, when she sees Lucifer’s eyes tear up slightly. This can’t be a happy memory for him, but he’s still telling her, just to improve her mood.

“So, when I was thrown to Hell, I wasn’t thrown alone. There were many others. Not as many that had rallied alongside me, as multiple defected when they realized our fight was futile. But there were quite a few of us.” Lucifer gazes at some children that shriek on the playground a couple paces away, rejoicing in each other’s company. “In all honesty, despite our abandonment, despite being cut off from the family, we were happy. We had what we wanted: freedom.”

With a shaky breath, Lucifer looks down at his lap. “But that was the undoing of some. They couldn’t handle it; they couldn’t handle the environment, being separated from the Holy Light. From the Shamayim. And it destroyed them.”

Now it was Chloe’s turn to comfort her loved one. Grabbing his arm, she tried to get him to look at her. “Lucifer, you don’t have to tell me this. I didn’t mean for you… If it’s too painful—”

Shaking his head, a tear thrown from his face hits Chloe in the hand. “No, it’s okay. I think I want to tell you.” A deep breath, and he continues. “It destroyed them. Little by little, one by one, most of my siblings perished. But they didn’t die. You can’t kill an angel, right?” He smirks at Chloe. “Well, I guess only you can.” His look turns dark. “And I did.” 

He is quiet for a moment, and Chloe lets him have a moment of peace in respect for Uriel. 

“But in Hell, you can’t kill an angel. So instead, their souls depleted. Their bodies deteriorated. They were left as husks of what they once were, only their former selves in every way but the one that mattered.” 

Suddenly, Lucifer sits up, striking Chloe with a determined gaze.

“And that’s how Maze was born.”

Shaken, Chloe flinches. “What?”

Nodding, Lucifer explains. “Most demons were made in the forges of Hell, but not the head demons. Maze was my right-hand demon, and for a good reason. When the angel’s soul left her body, it was still for a long time. Then, one day, it started moving again, as if reanimated. A whole new personality, much darker. A whole new purpose. One that I saw clearly. A demon. A creature perfectly suited for Hell, born in Hell, created in Hell.”

Swallowing, Chloe deals with a comprehension. “Does that mean Maze doesn’t have a soul?”

Surprised, Lucifer cocks an eyebrow Chloe’s direction. “Yes, that is correct. Has she never told you that?” Chloe shakes her head in the negative. “Oh. Well, yes, Mazikeen does not have a soul. That’s why when a demon dies, they just… die. They don’t go to anywhere. They are just walking shells, and when whatever took them over is eliminated, frozen shells they shall become.”

A fierce shiver takes Chloe’s body. She can’t imagine anything stopping Maze. How could she just cease to exist? Impossible.

“Anyways,” Lucifer shakes off the morbid subject, “that’s who I had with me down there. My demons, both created and overtaken, and my siblings. After many arguments, I was appointed king, and some millennia or two later, we were given our task of torture.” Lucifer shrugs. “It wasn’t that bad. Initially, I helped out a lot, but it got boring, making humans plead for a mercy that would never come. It was depressing to promise them solitude if they ever repented, but knowing they could never achieve that goal. Eventually I retreated into my own section of Hell, and talked.” 

“Talked?” Chloe hadn’t expected that.

“Yes, talked,” Lucifer smiles at her, wickedness in his eyes. “While the torture was boring, the human’s stories were not. They were the most interesting things I’d ever heard in my life. They told me of the wonders of Earth, the sights they’ve seen, the adventures they’d experienced. So, along with my desire to witness my Father’s playthings in action and my want to try what the humans described, I found myself visiting Earth very often. Until I decided to stay permanently.” His smile grows genuine, and gleeful. “And I’m so glad I did, because then I met you. Everything that’s happened to me has led me to you, and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Beaming down at her now, Lucifer is shining. She can’t see the Devil in him, despite all that he just said. She just sees someone glowing, bringing joy into her life. She smiles back up at him, softly touching his scraggly beard with calloused hands. “You’re so sweet,” she whispers, bringing him in for a kiss. She feels him almost gasp when their lips meet; his surprise touches her, and she lets out noises of happiness when he returns her chaste kiss, one of love and respect.

When she pulls away, a query pokes at her mind.

“And the demons that you left.”

“Yes?” Lucifer asks, a bit dazed.

“You don’t think some of them want you to return?”

The buzz of bliss around Lucifer fizzles out. His body freezes in reaction to the question. Closing his eyes, Lucifer shakes his head.

“No, I don’t believe so. No. They’re better off without me.”

* * *

She should have expected it, but Lucifer sure knows how to treat a woman.

The next portions of their few days’ off consist of walking around the mall, admiring clothes and jewelry _way_ out of her price range (and although Lucifer insists on buying her whatever she wants, she only gets another white button-up), visiting farmers markets to try various different samples, and just spending time together.

It has been so long since Chloe had really _relaxed_ , she’s forgotten what it feels like to just focusing on the people she loves. While working, she has to split her time between taking care of and providing for her daughter. She’s proud to be a successful (and badass) single mom, but she has to admit, it’s nice just to _be._

Exiting the movie theater, her arm lazily hands in Lucifer’s, sharing thoughts and conspiracies on the screening they just watched.

Shaking his head, Lucifer refutes the movie. “There’s no way, that just with a snap, half of the population of the Universe could disappear. Matter cannot be created nor destroyed, but from what was implied in the movie, nothing was made to replace those that were lost.” 

“Well, it’s not like they just vanished… they turned to dust,” she explains. “So they were just transformed.”

Lucifer humphs. “That’s not what destroying people looks like, but fine, I guess Hollywood never gets anything correct anyways.” Turning a complete one-eighty, Lucifer points to an ice cream shop across the way. “I’ll grab us some scoops!” He leaves Chloe, rushing off.

She stands there, stunned at what she just heard. He _knows_ what it’s like to will people out of existence?

In the middle of the sidewalk, Chloe is frozen, wondering what she should do with this information. Lucifer had said it so casually, like it was no big deal. Should she do the same? Prod some more? Ignore it?

“Oof!”

Her body is thrown off balance by someone hitting her in the shoulder as they walk by. Stumbling, Chloe turns to apologize to the passer-by. But just as she starts to rotate, Lucifer calls her. 

“Detective! I got your favorite.” He hands her two scoops of melting salted caramel ice cream. Smiling gratefully, Chloe accepts the offering. Once the dessert is securely in her hand, she skirts her eyes through the crowd of people walking down the walkway. The back of a man’s head, too far away now to remember any details, increases their distance from each other.  
  
“Detective?”

Lucifer pulls her out of her focus. Licking his own ice cream---strawberry---he gives her an odd look.

“You’ve been distracted easily recently.” 

Rubbing the back of her neck, Chloe laughs. “Oh, have I? I’m sorry, I hadn’t realized. I don’t know why I am.”

Lucifer shrugs. “It happens from time to time. Maybe you just need to go back to work finally. I can understand the itch a body gets when taken away from its purpose for a length of time."

Insulted, Chloe pulls away from Lucifer. “What? But I’m enjoying spending time with you!”

Lucifer smiles. “I know that, dear. But one does not negate the other. Besides, we’ll spend time together working on cases. I used to get lethargic when I didn’t play my instrument for a long while, even when it was my duty in the Silver City to serenade and soothe my family. Let’s go back, and get ready to dive back into bringing disgusting twats to justice.” 

Now smiling as well, Chloe nods. “When you put it like that, my job sure does sound glamorous.”

“You look glamorous doing anything, Chloe, including waking up in the morning.” Lucifer sneaks in to wrap an arm over her shoulders.

Thank goodness she has ice cream to cool her down.

* * *

Being back at work does make her feel better. The thrill of solving puzzles grounds her, and she feels as though her mind is being screwed back securely on. No longer worrying about other pedestrians, no longer stressing about angels: she can just concentrate on issues at hand that are concrete, not mind-altering.

Tapping her pencil rhythmically on her desk, Chloe contemplates her new case. A new body was found at Skyview Cemetery. Lucifer made a joke about misplacement, something about the wrong side of the earth when they were handed over the assignment. Now, blocking out what _that_ particular burial ground means to her, Chloe wonders about the autopsy report. From what the file says, and what Ella explained to her, all that was found was elevated levels of calcium in the cardiac cells of the deceased. No abrasions, no contusions, no other hints of any altercation of any kind. Just the high value of calcium. And no milk was found at the scene.

 So what the heck happened?

With a lick of her finger, Chloe sifts through the file once more. Male, late 20s, just had recovered from a broken arm. But otherwise perfectly healthy at the time of death. How did he just suddenly, from what appears to have happened, drop dead out of nowhere?

“Maybe we should go visit the area of death? It might provide us with some insight,” Lucifer suggests, watching the balls of a Newton’s Cradle transfer momentum from side to side.

Trying to keep her voice light, Chloe says, “Yeah, that’s a good idea. Let’s go.” Because it _is_ a good idea, it truly is. But she never goes to Skyview, unless it’s for one reason, and one reason only.

Despite being more in tune with her emotions lately, Lucifer still has difficulty reading the mood of the room from time to time. This is one of those times, as he happily snatches her car keys from her limp hand, tossing them up in the air with a jingle, whistling along to the tune he made for himself so long ago.

They walk to the car in silence, save for his two-bar theme song on repeat. Lucifer takes the driver’s seat, tapping the wheel in beat with his whistling. After a while, he stops, letting the hum of the car and the whoosh of traffic supply their urban music. Chloe stares out the window, eyes glazing over the skyscrapers lining up the approaching LA horizon line. Downtown gets closer and closer, and her mood gets darker and darker.

Glancing at her, Lucifer slowly reaches out to turn on the radio. He switches it to a quiet, peaceful channel, supplying Chloe with a feeling of nostalgia.

With a clear of his throat, Lucifer breaches the elephant in the room. “Is there something I should know, Detective? You seem awfully gloomy about our current trip. I thought working would make you brighter.” 

She wants to tell him. He deserves to know. It’s in there, right on the tip of her tongue. He doesn’t hold back, he tells her the truth all the time: he should get the same in return. He’s there for her, in every sense of the word. He _died_ for her.

“We’re headed to a cemetery,” she says instead, disappointing herself. “There’s not much to be excited about there.”

Lucifer gives her a confused look. “But you’re with me,” he says, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

“I know,” Chloe responds. “But my job surrounds death, cemeteries exude death, and…” she chokes on her next words, and they’re lost in her throat. “But I guess you’ve never had to deal much with that.”

“That’s not true, and you know it,” Lucifer says, voice low. His fingers tighten around her wheel, and Chloe is certain once he lets go, there will be a permanent indent.

Reaching out, Chloe rubs his arm, which is tense under his suit. His muscles feel like titanium, and his otherworld-ness strikes her again.

“I do know it,” Chloe admits, thinking of Uriel once more, of his mother leaving to another dimension, and the passing of Charlotte Richards. And how could she forget Father Frank? “But death isn’t as much of a reality to you as it is to me. You don’t face it every day, you don’t have a history of generations before you perishing like us humans do.” She retrieves her arm, folding her hands in her lap, feeling small. “I live with death every day. It’s always on my mind. What would happen to Trixie, if I were to die at work? Or just in a car crash? Or just for some random health reason? You don’t have to think about that. You’re immortal, you’re from a different _dimension,_ Lucifer. We think differently about these things.”

Everything that has been building up the past few days is know bubbling over, and she can’t stop herself.

“Sometimes, you talk about things… about things that make me feel inferior. I love your stories, they fascinate me, and I love learning about you. About your life before all of this,” she gestures around them. “But because of them, I know I’m worthless compared to you. In the grand scheme of things, I’m nothing, in your lifespan. I mean nothing.”

Now on the side road leading to the cemetery, Lucifer suddenly turns the wheel hard, jerking Chloe in her seat to the side as he settles in a side lane. He stops the car hard, and Chloe slams against her seatbelt.

“What the hell, Lucifer?” She asks, voice rising. She just admitted something deep, something vulnerable, and then he tries to get her killed?

She looks to him, and gets the chills. Hands still on the wheel on ten and two o’clock, Lucifer seethes. His eyes flash red as he looks ahead of him up the road. Breathing in and out of his nose loudly, he seems to be trying to hold himself together.

“Lucifer?...” Chloe inquires, genuinely scared now. Did she say something wrong?

Whipping his head to her, Chloe flinches back due to his intense look. His face conveys that whatever he’s about to say is important to him, so important, it requires her full attention. His eyebrows are scrunched in a desperate wrinkle, he so desperately needs her to hear this.

“You are _not_ nothing, Chloe,” he says, voice powerful. She feels humbled by his modulation, and her body melts at the tone of his speech. “You’re everything to me. I would risk everything for you. I would sacrifice _everything_ for you.” 

Overcoming her desire to just submit to him, submit to his will, Chloe shakes her head, so roughly that she waps herself in the face with her braid. “No, Lucifer, you can’t,” she says, fear and panic wrapping her voice. “Don’t say that, please. Can’t you see how much more important you are to the Universe? To _me?_ You can’t sacrifice yourself for me. Promise me.” She knows that’s the only way to assure he sticks to his word.

Now the wheel lets out a frail squeak, protesting Lucifer’s fierce clenching. His face is turning red, his eyes keep flashing crimson, and his back is a still as a wooden plank. He looks to be in pain, the worst pain of his life, as if his entire body is rejecting the very idea. Grimacing through the repulsion, Lucifer reluctantly agrees to her terms.  
  
“I promise."

The tension in the car is think and heavy with the weight of their conversation, accentuated by Chloe’s timid silence. Head bent down, her mind feels exhausted from the exchange. After a while, Lucifer says something.

“You have to promise me something.” Chloe looks up, eyes expectant, not knowing where he’s headed with this. “You can never call yourself nothing.” Finally releasing the wheel, he contorts in his seat to face Chloe fully. “That is not true. If you think this is because you are human, you are wrong. You humans are the most precious things in the world to my Father. And if you mean in general, you are even more wrong. You have touched the lives of so many people, made the world a better place with your work, and have lightened the heart of this poor devil. Chloe,” he says, voice dropping to no more than a whisper, “never consider yourself nothing, because one has never uttered a more false statement in the entire span of my existence.”

Whenever he utters her name, whispers it in bed, or calls it out in freight, her heart is captured. He is exposed and vulnerable when he says her name, so quiet, so loving, so full of devotion.

“If you insist,” Chloe answers, enraptured in his gaze. Without thinking, she leans forward, as if Lucifer has her caught in a tractor beam. But she’d never want to fight it, only welcome it. Lucifer responds in kind, eyes never leaving hers. She swears she sees his eyes glint as she closes hers, breathing in his healing smell. His kisses are almost longing, as his hands creep up to grasp her back, clinging to her shirt intensely.

They break apart, both emotional, Chloe torn by his meaningful words, and Lucifer, she’s not sure. But he smiles at her, as though he is in awe of her as much as she is of him, and takes the car out of park to resume their journey.

Chloe notices her breath start to increase in rate more and more the closer they get to the site of the death. But before she hyperventilates, Lucifer makes a right and her diaphragm finally relaxes. They pull up to the side of a graveyard, the surrounding area still roped off with yellow tape. Forensics clean up the remaining evidence pieces from the scene, only a few policemen remaining to stand guard.

As she gathers her notebook and sunglasses, Lucifer scuttles around the car to open the door for her. “Detective,” he says, gesturing her exit. Nodding in appreciation, Chloe gets out of the car, adding a little pat on the arm for Lucifer’s sake.

“Detective Decker,” a policeman greets Chloe as she ducks under the tape Lucifer raises for her. “Need a run down?”

“Just the basics,” Chloe says, looking around. There’s not much here, just the little triangular signs marking where evidence was documented, some footprints, and a trail of dirt.

“All right. Well,” the officer begins, “we found the body here, on this path. The victim appears to have fallen backwards, according to the contusions, although the phone was found at the victim’s feet along with their earbuds, case shattered. He was wearing athletic clothes.” Gesturing to the dirt path, he says, “this is from another source, unidentified. It tracks behind up behind the victim, but continues down just a bit father.”

“Whoever had this mud stuck to their shoe, might have some clues,” Chloe suggests.

The policeman nods. “Agreed, but the markings are making it very hard to identify who it might be. According to the report, it looks like they dragged their feet, or scuffed it up a lot. No shoe size, weight, or guess at a gender can be made.”

Sighing, Chloe rubs her forehead. “Great. So, no real leads, then. Do the tracks guide us anywhere?”

The officer nods, looking apologetic. “Sorry, Detective, but no. The mud puddle was just a few feet away, hence the footprints starting. And then with the scuffing, they stopped pretty quickly away from the victim.”

“So let me recap,” Chloe begins, walking around the scene. The policeman and Lucifer trail behind her. “We have minimal evidence, no witnesses, barely a crime scene to begin with, and an autopsy report with nothing to offer.” Stopping in her tracks, Chloe spins around, startling the officer. “What about our surroundings? Notice anything weird?”

“Surroundings?” The officer repeats with a blank look.

Forcing a smile, Chloe repeats again, “Yes, surroundings. As in, have you checked the perimeter?”

“Uh…” that alone could have triggered her anger. But Chloe tires to remind herself of when she was a rookie, as this officer clearly is one. She gives him three… two… once… 

“Should I go look around then?...” the little policeman asks.

Hands in the air, Chloe gives him a ‘hallelujah’ look. “Yes! Brilliant! Go do that, and report if there’s anything strange. And I mean _anything_ , even the slightest detail.” With a wave of her hand, the officer skirts away.

Lucifer peers over her shoulder, tutting. “Poor soul,” he mutters. Then, “What are you thinking, Detective?”

Sighing once more, Chloe gives him a sad look. “Honestly, I’ve got nothing. This case is really bizarre, and we’ve seen some odd stuff before.” Lucifer solemnly agrees, nodding his head up and down. “You got any ideas, Lucifer?”

“Unless you count dropping dead from fear as a murder, I’m afraid I’ve got nothing,” Lucifer jokes with a shrug.

“Death by fear?” Chloe asks.

“Yeah, why not?” Lucifer points to the yellow sign that reads ‘2’. “It’s all I can think of. Who else would drop their phone, and fall backwards? But trust me, although I typically believe my ideas are gospel—well, close enough—I do realize this is pretty far-fetched.” Lucifer twitches his eyebrows up and down. “But you humans _are_ weird. I know this one human, who quite enjoys the sensation of—”

“Yes! Enough!” Chloe stops him before he reveals anything overly intimate to suspecting eavesdroppers. “Humans are weird. And feinting, I would grant you, when I first started I almost did myself. But dying out of fear? I think we should place that idea on the back burner for now.” 

“Agreed,” Lucifer says. “And also for now, should we try to come up with some other ideas? Just like… what is it called… a brainstorm?”

Rolling her eyes, Chloe flips through her notebook. “I know you’re old, but there’s no way you forgot the word ‘brainstorm’.”

Folding his lips inward and bulging out his eyes, Lucifer somehow makes the shrugging emoji face, eliciting a laugh from Chloe as she reviews her notes. Lucifer reads over her shoulder, sometimes murmuring under his breath. 

There’s nothing of interest that she’s jotted down, nothing screaming out at her “Pick me! Pick me!” to use as a possible lead, and nothing that even jumpstarts her brain.

After more than a decade, has she finally reached a slump? She can’t have a slump. Decker’s don’t have slumps.

“Detective?” Both Chloe and Lucifer look up, both defeated from their lack of progress. The greenhorn looks afraid, inching towards the pair step by step, rubbing his hands in front of him.

“Yes?” Lucifer inquires. “Spit it out, you don’t want to keep looking like a meme.”

The officer immediately puts his hands to the side. “You might want to see this.”

Spinning, the officer turns to guide them down plot after plot. They create more and more distance from the location of the death, and Chloe recognizes a tree to the side; the tombstones become more familiar… until they reach their destination, and chills run down her spine.

 They stand before an upturned grave, dirt everywhere, now dried from being dampened the night before from the rare Los Angeles rain. Grass is discarded all around the plot, as if someone was dug out. Peering into the gaping hole six feet down, the coffin looks ripped open, leaving the cushioned inside empty. 

The gravestone remains untouched. 

 _Officer John Decker_.

 .

.

.

.

  
“Detective?”

Standing before the gravesite, Chloe remains transfixed at the display in front of her. Eyes blurring, she feels the tears behind her blockade she had put up the second they crossed the line into the cemetery. But this is too much. How did this happen?

Tentative arms drape around her shoulder, bringing her close to a warm body. In the back of her mind she registers the scent of a loved one, but she can’t focus. She can only stare.

“Chloe,” the voice calls to her, soothing, patient, understanding. “Chloe, look at me.”

Tearing her eyes away from her father’s grave, she lets Lucifer turn her gently to face her. Without a word, he brings her into his chest, cradling her head with one large hand.

And she lets the tears flow. 

Her body shakes violently. Pushing fists into her eyes, Chloe tries to keep herself from crying, but the water forces itself out, demanding to fall down her cheeks. She heaves against Lucifer, unable to restrain herself, to restrict her volume. Lucifer holds her tighter, keeping her close, keeping her safe.

Her knees give out, and Lucifer plummets to the ground to catch her before she face plants on the grass. He wraps his arms around her entire body, enclosing her in his space, letting her release all of her emotions.

She doesn’t know how long he holds her for. She doesn’t know how much she cries.

She doesn’t know how she stops. But she does.

And when convulsions leave, a cold resignation fills their place.

Rubbing up and down on her back, Lucifer whispers consoling words. He must notice her stop moving, because he freezes as well.

“Who would do this.” It’s not a question. She wants to know. She _needs_ to know.

She can feel Lucifer shake his head. He doesn’t know what to say. What _could_ he say?

Abruptly, Chloe leaves the warm confines of Lucifer’s embrace. That’s not what she needs anymore. Now, she needs to figure out who did this. And punish them.

She’s seeing red.

Nothing will stop her.

Jumping to her feet, Chloe gives the location a once over. The policeman that brought them here has vanished, left to rejoin the other troops. Chloe growls, annoyed. Pulling out her radio, she calls for the rookie to come back. 

“Negative, Detective,” the response comes cackling back. “You’re being taken of this case for personal reasons.”  
  
“I am _not_ taking more rest days!” Chloe shouts into the receiver. If she wanted to, she thinks she could crush the machine in her hand.

“Also a negative on that, Detective,” the voice meekly replies. “You’re simply being reassigned. Report to the Lieutenant for further instructions.”

“Arg!” With a yell, Chloe throws down the walkie. Lucifer watches from afar, trying to gauge everything.

Stomping back to the grave, Chloe folds her arms in front of her, her face pure stone.

Lucifer walks up next to her, hands in his pockets, a respectful distance by her side.

“He received full honors,” Chloe says. “Badge shroud, 21-gun salute. I was given his flag.” Her grip tightens on her arm. “He doesn’t deserve this. No matter what, I’ll figure this out.”

Her voice gets lost in the pile of dirt next to them, and they’re left with a silence that tears out her heart.

“I have no doubt about that,” Lucifer tells her. “I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

Blinking once, twice, Chloe withholds the last tear.

“Thank you,” she chokes out, voice thick.

 Lucifer doesn’t need to say anything else. His actions speak loud enough.

* * *

Back at home, Chloe marks up her bedroom with pins and yarn, connecting all the evidence, photos, and notes that she has. Which is pretty minimal, but she’ll work with what she’s got.

But she’s been staring at her wall for hours now, and nothing is clicking in her mind. Nothing makes sense.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, Chloe picks at her fingernails, re-examining the picture that makes her sick. The photo of torn dirt, dried mud, scuffed asphalt, and discarded grass.

She’s missing something, she knows it.

There’s a knock at the door, and Chloe jumps up from the bed in freight. Collecting herself, Chloe exits her room, wondering who it could possibly be.

Trixie rounds the door, tossing her backpack on the couch, and runs straight into Chloe’s legs, giving her a big hug.

“Hey Monkey!” Chloe greets her, giving her an awkward-half hug, unable to lean down all the way with Trixie’s little arms around her knees. “Why are you back so soon?”

Dan closes the front door behind him, eyes curious as he looks at Chloe. “Because school’s over, Chlo,” he says. “Did you lose track of time?”

_Oh shit._

Dan comes to the realization at same time, and his posture deflates. “You didn’t go into work, did you?” He asks her, voice flat.

Trixie peers up at Chloe as she rubs a shy hand on her opposite arm. “Well…” she says, not admitting anything. Kneeling down, she envelops Trixie in a full hug. “Get started on your homework, sweetie, and we’ll be able to watch some TV later tonight,” Chloe promises her. With a yelp of glee, Trixie grabs her stuff and runs into her room. Returning to her full height, Chloe avoids eye contact with Dan. “Yeah, maybe I did forget to go into work. Sue me.”

“Sue you?” Dan immediately starts. He keeps his voice down, thankfully, but he still sounds aggravated. “Chloe, this is so unlike you. You won’t get fired, but you’ll get suspended for sure. And not just because you were off playing hookie, it’ll be because you’re investigating a case you’ve been forbidden from being a part of! For the second time!”

“Last time it worked!” Chloe says, flinging an arm into the air. She walks into the kitchen area to pour herself a glass of wine. She only has cheap whites, thanks to Maze guzzling all the rest of her stock. With a shudder, she chooses one with a scratched up label.

Dan places his hands on the counter, leaning over to Chloe. “No, it didn’t work last time. It screwed up the case last time!” He reminds her, eyes full of concern. “You shouldn’t let that happen again!”

Chloe chokes on the alcohol after taking a big gulp. Grimacing, she puts it down, she dives into the refrigerator for a tall glass of orange juice instead. “I won’t let that happen again,” she assures him, thinking back when the court case of her dad’s murderer was botched. “But I can’t leave this case alone. And for a different reason,” she says, holding up a finger to Dan’s open mouth. “I think there’s something that we’re not getting. Something the LAPD won’t be able to find.”

Dan trusts Chloe’s gut. Hefting himself off of the counter, he places his hands on his hips. “What do you mean by that?”

Side-eyeing Dan, Chloe wonders if she should tell him. The epiphany just came to her. But could she share this with him? He doesn’t know the whole story. It isn’t hers to tell.

“I’m not sure,” she says, biting the bile of the lie. “But I’ll let you know once it comes to me.”

With a sigh, Dan submits to her will. She won’t back down, not when it comes to family, he knows this. There’s no use trying to stop her. “Okay, Chloe. But stay safe. And let me know if you need anything, of course I’ll help.”

Chloe smiles at Dan. “I know that,” she promises him.

After wrapping up a Martian cookie for Daniel, Chloe sends him on his way Then she wanders back into her bedroom, analyzing the pictures once more. Something clicks, and Chloe takes a sharp intake of breathe. She’ll have to check on that tomorrow.

For now, she checks in on Trixie, who is sitting by her desk, legs swinging, writing down a poem about daisies. Letting herself into her daughter’s room, Chloe helps Trixie find the correct words to perfectly describe the weightlessness of a flower. When they finish her work of art, they snuggle up on the couch and fall asleep to the sound of Moana. 

* * *

 

 _Okay, do your thing,_ Chloe texts him.

With a thumbs up, Lucifer struts to the front desk, leaning onto the surface in a blaze fashion, flashing the man on guard his most dazzling smile. Chloe can see the officer melt in Lucifer’s presence, completely taken by his charm.

 _Perfect. It’s a go._  

Pulling her baseball cap over her face, Chloe skitters by the precinct’s foyer in her old officer’s uniform. Just as planned, no one notices her, especially not the man having a conversation with Lucifer. She sneaks by and darts down the stairs, making it to the elevator. She presses the call button frantically, gasping in delight once it opens its glorious doors to her. Somehow, no one else enters with her, and she descends alone. 

Once on the ground floor, Chloe takes a look at who’s around her. _Shit._ She sees Cain’s replacement leaving her office, ready with the assignments for the day. Thankfully Dan notices her, and his eyebrows raise.

Chloe juts her head towards the Lieutenant, wording _Help me_. Dan looks confused, until he words back an exaggerated _ooh_.

With one swift move, he cuts off the Lieutenant, herding her back into her office to talk about whatever Dan makes up. Good thing he does improv, because Chloe would just stutter until the Lieutenant rolled her eyes and walked away.

But Dan does his job well, and the coast is clear. With large strides, Chloe crosses the precinct floor and rushes into the forensics’ lab.

“Chloe?”

Ella holds to glass vials in each hand precariously, each a different color liquid. Her eyes bulge from behind two sets of material: one, her glasses, and two, the lab goggles over her own glasses. Despite it being just the midmorning, she’s already elbow deep into many different projects. This girl must never sleep.

“Hey, Ella,” Chloe greets her with a timid smile. She pulls her braid around her shoulder, brushing her hands up and down her hair.

“I thought you weren’t supposed to come in until later,” Ella says, placing her vials down.

“Yeah, that’s true,” Chloe affirms. “But I need to ask you for a favor, Ella, if you don’t mind.”

Ella becomes serious, correcting her posture. She snaps her blue gloves off, tossing them into the trash before approaching Chloe and grabbing her hands.

“Anything, Chloe, just name it,” Ella says. “You know I’m always there for you, girl.”

Chloe offers Ella a small smile, appreciating her loyalty. Curling her lips in, Chloe decides who to ask her question. Bluntness seems like the best tactic.

“What would you think about a murder caused by fear?”

Ella takes a step back, taken by surprise. “Murder caused by fear?”

With a nod, Chloe walks to Ella’s workbench, sifting through her files. “For the case involving… involving my father.”

Ella joins Chloe by the table. “I’m getting a slight feeling of deja-vu here,” she says quietly. She finds the correct file, flipping it open. She takes out the coroner’s report, and holds it close to her face. “So you’re wondering if this death could have occurred… out of fear?”

Chloe nods.

Looking dubiously at Chloe, but somehow still taking her seriously, Ella’s forehead knits together in thought.

“I’m not sure about this case, it’s pretty weird. No outside physical injuries, and not anything inside as well. All the description says is the high level of calcium in the the heart, which…” Ella stares at the wall, stopping mid sentence.

“Ella?” Chloe prompts.

“Of course!” Ella yells out, hands grabbing at her head. “How could I not see this before? Of course!” Ella runs to her computer, typing furiously.

“Ella, what?” Chloe follows Ella around her room.

Bringing up an article on the screen, Ella points to her monitor. “Elevated levels of calcium in the heart can be caused by activation of the beta-adrenergic glands on the heart via activation of the sympathetic nervous system!”

“And?" 

“The sympathetic nervous system is our fight of flight instinct,” Ella explains. “Which is what we have to choose between when—“

“We experience fear,” Chloe guesses.

“Exactly,” Ella agrees, wide smile. “And the icing on the cake: elevated calcium levels can force contraction in muscle cells, sometime to such a severe degree it would stop the muscle completely. If it affected the heart, it could cause a heart attack.”

“So what you’re saying…”

“Yes, I think this was murder by fear. You’re absolutely right, Chloe.” Mystified, Ella removes her glasses. “This is a first in the forensic community. I’m gonna have another great story for the convention!” Ella pumps her fist in the air, then goes back to typing at her computer. When Chloe peeks at the screen, she sees her sending many, many emails to fellow colleagues.

With Ella clearly distracted, Chloe slips out of the science room back to the inner confines of the precinct. Most officers are out and about, too busy to notice her. Trying to make herself small, Chloe crouches into her chest and heads to the stairs to exit the building.

She brush by Gonzales on the first steps, and Chloe tires to act normally. Gonzales is nose-deep into a case file, walking with the new DA. The new lawyer sees Chloe, but no recognition sparks in her eyes, as the pair has only talked a few times for Chloe’s cases. Gonzales doesn’t notice her, and Chloe releases a breath of relief when the DA doesn’t say anything.

No other close calls occur as she gets to the top of the flight. Reaching the main foyer, Chloe looks around for Lucifer.

In the corner, Lucifer’s back is toward her, attention focused on something out of her view. Chloe approaches him when the officer at the desk leans down to grab something, and taps his shoulder.

“I got what I needed, Lucifer. Now—" 

Lucifer turns to expose the Lieutenant, face apologetic. Chloe stops mid-sentence, mouth still open.

“Good morning, Detective Decker,” the Lieutenant greets Chloe. But Chloe can tell there’s nothing truly _good_ about this morning from her tone. “I must have missed you downstairs, I’m sorry about that. I’m so glad I caught you as you were leaving.”

Swallowing, Chloe asks, “Glad?”

The Lieutenant smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. Instead, she looks disappointed. “No, not really. I’m afraid that protocol compels me to punish anyone that goes against direct orders. That includes investigating an open case that you have been removed from. And from what your file tells me, this is your second offense. I cannot allow this to continue. Detective Decker, please go to the office and fill out files…”

Chloe zones out for the recitation of suspension files which would force her to turn in her badge and handgun.

Lucifer follows her as she is forced to turn in her handgun and badge.

Without a word, she marches out of the police building. Once surrounded by fresh air, Chloe takes a deep breath.

“This is alright,” she says, mostly trying to convince herself. “You can still do this without your resources.”

“Agreed,” Lucifer speaks up. “Something tells me that you will be imaginative, Detective. Besides, you seemed to be about to say something before your superior interrupted you. Why did we come in today to see dear Ms. Lopez?”

Waving Lucifer to the car, Chloe explains on the way.

“Well, remember when you said that maybe our victim fell out of fear?" 

“Yes,” Lucifer says, getting into the passenger seat. “But that was just a joke, Detective.

Chloe straps the seatbelt around her torso. “I realize that. But nothing else made sense. And I just verified it will Ella, and now she’s convinced that’s what happened.”

Lucifer gives Chloe an unconvinced look. “Therefore, you think…”

Turning the key in the ignition, the car spikes to life. As Chloe backs up the car, she explains. “I was thinking about those demons you mentioned. There’s so much I don’t know about Hell. Can anything… can those sent down there… be reanimated?" 

When the thought crossed her mind, Chloe wanted to throw up. Her father, walking again, without agency.

“No.”

 Lucifer’s answer is so final, it shocks Chloe.

“Impossible,” Lucifer says, his hair moving with a shake of his head. “Only I hold the ability to return souls to the Earthly plane, and I didn’t do this. That is out of the question. Besides,” he adds, “Your father was not in Hell. I had the list memorized when I was down there. No John Decker present.”

“Oh.”

As much as Lucifer’s response makes Chloe feel better about the fate of her father, this means they’re back at square one, with no leads, and no ideas.

“Although,” Lucifer rubs his chin. “Theoretically, a body can be revived. It wouldn’t be the same person as before, just a husk as the demons were. It would be as if they were an imprint of who they used to be, but not as functional and without advanced cognitive abilities. Able to take commands, but not make decisions on their own.” 

The tires rumble over torn up asphalt as Chloe asks, “So it’s _theoretically_ possible?”

“Indeed,” Lucifer says. “But… you really believe that’s what’s happened? One of my own raised the dead? Preposterous.”

Chloe shrugs. “It may seem preposterous, Lucifer, but this is what we’ve got to work with.”

“How in the world did you even think of this?” Lucifer asks.

The question was inevitable. Before, she had thought she was seeing things. Now, she’s not sure, but she can’t admit her craziness. She wasn’t seeing her dad; the body hadn’t even been found earlier. Whoever had been watching her, whoever had knocked into her, hadn’t been her father. So Chloe says, “This is my new reality now, and I’m just accepting it as is.”

Lucifer laughs. “You are truly incredible, Detective. Only you would be able to overcome the jumbled void that comes with me.”

Shooting Lucifer a smile, Chloe sets a course for the cemetery.

Being back isn’t easy, but it’s necessary. Now that she’s prepared for the horrid sight, Chloe does not immediately recoil upon the sight of her father’s removal.

Lucifer circles the area as she inspects the markings on the sides of the grave. There’s no indication of a shovel being used, and Chloe is almost positive she sees claw-like marks, securing her theory that her father dug himself out.

 _Not your father,_ Chloe reminds herself. _Just a shell of who he used to be. It’s not him anymore_.

But she can’t drive away the thrill of possibly seeing him again, walking around again, seeing his granddaughter. 

Lucifer walks up to where Chloe is crouched and crosses his arms. “You’re correct, Detective. I can smell the stench of demon everywhere. I haven’t the faintest why I didn’t notice it earlier.”

Standing up, Chloe asks, “You can _smell_ demon?”

Lucifer twists his face. “Not exactly… but that’s the closest I can think of to your basic senses.”

“Wait,” Chloe says, grabbing Lucifer’s arm. “you said you smelled demon? Does that mean _Maze_ is to blame for this?”

“Certainly not,” Lucifer says, shaking his head. “Maze has a unique scent, and this one is too salty, Maze has a more bitter feeling.”

“Oh good, I didn’t want to have to go confront my roommate about this,” Chloe lets go of Lucifer, crossing her own arms. “However, do you think she would be a good person to ask about this?”

With a snap, Lucifer points behind him.

Maze rolls up in her silver convertible, looking snazzy in a pair of buggy sunglasses. Hair in a tight ponytail, she loosk deadly in her all-leather outfit and knife-sheathes wrapping around her upper arms. After leaping over the door, Maze smacks her lips with a _pop_ before surveying the scene around her.

“Yikes, Decker, you bury something out here and forget where you left it?” She asks, sarcastic as always.

Maze sobers up in her obscene personality once Chloe explains the exact situation.

She lets out a whistle. “Damn, Chloe. This is fucked up. I’m sorry one of my asshole brethren has decided to do this.” Like a snake, Maze’s tongue whips in and out of her mouth. “Tastes like one of the _so’eryim._ ” 

“Soh-air what?” Chloe asks as Lucifer nods his agreement.

“A subclass of demon,” Maze explains. “They were mostly guards, I guess. You know, making sure the right people got in, and stayed put.”

“Right,” Chloe isn’t sure how to respond to that. What did she expect, really? That Hell would let damned souls walk out? But she’s still allowed to freak out internally, as long as Maze and Lucifer don’t notice. “And why would a _so’e…_ demon,” she settles on, “want to do this? And why specifically my father?”

Maze shoots Lucifer a helpless look. Lucifer’s gaze darkens. “Why do demons do anything, Detective? They barely function without me down there, I’m surprised something like this even happened.”

“Hey!” Maze hefts herself to her full height. “You act like demons are idiots!”

“Well, they are!” Lucifer claims, exacerbated. Maze glowers. “Present company excluded, of course,” he finally realizes he must say. Maze’s hair stops standing on its end. “And as to your second question, it just appears that everything must always revolve around your family, Detective. If Copernicus hadn’t finally, against all odds including the church, convinced everyone the earth spin around the sun, I believe the humans would circle around you.” 

“Okay, weirdo,” Maze rolls her neck. “But I figured you called me here since not only am I the best at tracking humans, but I’m the best at tracking _anything_ , including demon-raised humans.”

“That is true,” Lucifer says.

“So what’s our goal, here?” Maze gestures her hands around in a circle. “We want to capture, follow, eliminate?”

“Just find, for now,” Chloe says quickly. “I just want to find him.”

Maze’s eyes rise slowly up Chloe’s body, and she pauses for a long time as she examines Chloe’s face. “It. Find _it._ ”

Chloe lowers her head, hiding her features with a curtain of hair. “Yes. Find _it_.”

Clapping her hands together, Maze gathers the three of them to a huddle. “Well if we want to find this thing, we’re gonna have to assume that his actions are going to be peeled to its most basic abilities. Raw desires.” Maze looks to Chloe. “Where do you think your father would go, if he were brought back? Without a thought, without any intentions?”

The answer is clear as day.

“The place of his murder,” Chloe says. “The corner store.”

Thus, they proceed to the location of John Decker’s death.

* * *

The opening of the door triggers a bell fixed to the frame to emit a soft _ding_. In walk a detective, a demon, and a devil. 

The store looks like it was trashed. Rows of different processed and packaged food line the floors of the room, each with a different exotic color of the rainbow. Maze sets off to find Trixie a Rice Crispy Treat without a care while Lucifer and Chloe walk up to the counter, making sure not to step on any items. The empty space by the cashier blows a shivering wind over Chloe’s torso.                                                                                                                                                                       

“Hello? Anyone here?” Lucifer calls, peering his head over the counter top.

A tuft of hair pokes out from the door behind the counter, followed soon by a full body. A man, about 20 years of age and of average height looks a bit frightened, eyes wide, as he tip toes from behind the wall.

“Hi there,” he greets them, nodding from a distance. “We’re not really open at the moment, as you can see. If you don’t mind leaving, we should be back in business in a few days. I thought I locked the door…" he keeps a good two feet away from the edge of the counter.

Lucifer leans over, intruding on the man’s space. “Why are you keeling from us, young man?” He asks, voice liquid.

The man shrinks away from Lucifer, not reacting to Lucifer’s normal mind tricks. Perhaps he’s not even trying that right now, Chloe thinks.

“Dad, I can’t do this anymore! I can’t work here!” And he sprints away, into the abyss of the back room. 

Chloe and Lucifer raise eyebrows at each other.

Scuffing the floor, an older man scuttles into the main area, rubbing this bald head. “What’s happening now? Imma hafta shut down my store if more creepers keep comin’.” 

He stops short when he notices Chloe’s and Lucifer’s serious stance. Without her badge, Chloe needs to summon more swagger into her demeanor, but thankfully Lucifer helps her out on the intimidation front.

“Is there somethin’ wrong?” The shopkeeper asks. 

“No, unless you don’t spill all the juicy details that I know you’re hiding,” Lucifer says sweetly. “Now, why does your son refuse to work here? Why is your source of income such a mess? And what creepers have graced you with their humble presence?”

The shopkeeper pauses his rhythmic hand motion on his head, startled by the line of questioning. Bellowing out his cheeks, he relaxes and leans on his counter.

“There’s nothin’ to hide, really,” he says. “My son just got jumpy as we hadda strange man enter the store just a coupla days ago. Real odd one. Dead eyes, pale skin, like he hadn’t gotten a good meal in a long time.”

“How bizarre,” Maze deadpans, arriving at the front of the shop, arms full of treats and different foods.

“I know, right?” the man agrees. “It was real scary. He flung his arms all around, knockin’ everything over, as you can see. Didn’t demand anything, just kept repeatin’ the same thing over and over. I tried to pacify him, but he was real strong, didn’t expect that, I didn’t.”

“What did he say?” Chloe asks.

“It was a name, I think…” the man hefts himself up to rub his large belly. “He kept sayin’ _where is she. Chloe. I need Chloe_.”

The three celestial-knowing creatures exchange a worried glance.

Depositing her goods onto the counter, Maze asks, “You’re positive he asked for a Chloe in particular?”

The man nods. “Sure as I’ll ever be.” 

“I think that’s as much assurance as we’ll get,” Maze says. “Any clue where he went to next?”

The man shakes his bald head, rubbing his hands together. “Sorry, I don’ have a clue. He sped outta here real quick after he didn’t find what he wanted.”

“Sounds about right,” Maze says to Chloe. She slams a hundred dollar bill on the counter. “So, how much does all of this cost?”

The man looks at her, stunned. “We’re not open right now, sorry ma’am. As you can see, I gotta clean up and everythin’.”

Maze smiles, showing off her sharp canines.

“Indulge me.”

* * *

Maze bites down happily on her beef jerky.

Pulling in her jacket close to her body, Chloe feels lost once again. “Every time I think we’re one step closer, we end up at a dead end,” she complains to Lucifer.

Watching Maze wearily as she scarfs down her food, Lucifer says, “I called Mazikeen for a reason. Simply because we have no visual indications of your father’s next location, does not mean we don’t have alternate means of tracking.” He gestures to Maze. 

She rips out a fourth jerky stick, wharfing it down as well.

Lucifer clears his throat. “Mazikeen?”

Maze notice Chloe and Lucifer waiting for her.

“Oh,” she says. “He went that way,” she points with her beef jerky.

“How do you know?” Chloe jots down the note in her book.

“It’s all about the emptiness. Most humans leave a trail of thought behind them, clouding everything. But there’s a vacuum that we can follow.” 

After an extended blink of both eyes, Chloe asks, “Can you track from the car?”

Maze shrugs, which Chloe takes as a yes. 

Lucifer is booted to the backseat so Maze can get a good look at the “emptiness” that zombie Decker emits. Squished in the middle seat, he leans forward to be a part of every word that is exchanged between the females.

“Straight here… he went through this park, so go around and I’ll continue from there… wait, no! U-turn! Nevermind, that was correct, keep going…”

With a glance in the rearview mirror, Lucifer shrugs. “It’s not an exact science, Detective.”

Resigning to the roundabout way Maze takes them, Chloe sits back into her car seat.

Until she realizes where her father is headed. The same thought dawns on Maze, as she stops talking and shoots a scared look at Chloe.

“ _Trixie,_ ” they say together.

Chloe floors it.

She can’t hear Lucifer ask for an explanation, leaving maze to take on that responsibility. All she can think about is Trixie, visiting her grandmother, at her old home. Where a real life zombie is headed.

The car zooms into the driveway, skidding to stop as the tires leave a black mark in the brake zone. Slamming the door behind her, Chloe sprints to the front door, and knocks with a fervor.

“Mom! Mom! Answer me! Trixie, are you there?”

Sounds of footsteps announce the arrival of maze and Lucifer behind Chloe, but she can’t hear anything through the door. 

“Detective, look,” Lucifer’s quiet voice directs her to the window to the side of the house. It’s smashed in, glass every which where. 

Without a second thought, Chloe kicks down the door. She makes a move for her gun, but swears when she just grabs at air. That suspension might really kick her in the butt.

She can’t think about that now. “Mom! Trixie! Please, are you here?” Her cop instincts keep her emotions from flaring, but barely. She wants to yell, run around, find her mother, find her baby girl. She wants to wail, she wants to cry, but she holds it in.

The sight of her old home is worse than the corner store. 

Glass from the broken window line the floor. The table stand that featured pictures from Chloe’s childhood and her mother’s career is smashed down, leaving splintered wood and cracked frames on the floor. Dishes from the always perfect kitchen table are in pieces in shards of china, and the couch is torn up. Kicking up stuffing as she walks through the living room, Chloe keeps calling out for Trixie and her mom.

Her calm demeanor is quickly slipping away, revealing the flustered and overwhelmed Chloe underneath. Moving from room to room, all Chloe finds is more destroyed furniture, but no people, or bodies.

A hand grips at her shoulder when she checks the backyard. She turns around, attempting an escape grapple, but is thrown onto the ground, face squished against the porch floor. 

“Chloe, they’re not here. Calm down. You need to stay level-headed.” When Chloe taps on the ground, Maze releases her. She helps Chloe onto her feet. “Check Trixie’s location on your phone, she should have Find My Friends activated. In the meantime, I’ll have a look around for any more clues. Okay?” with a nod, Maze is off.

Her hands shake as she removes her phone from her pocket. It takes her three attempts to unlock her phone, and two others to select the correct app.

Two dots, one with TE and the other PD flash side by side at the mall.

She feels a million times better, even though she explicitly told her mother not to go on a shopping spree with Trixie for new clothes. But that’s not what matters right now. They’re safe, they didn’t see an undead grandfather/husband, and they’re okay. 

Making her way back into the house, Chloe tucks her phone into her back pocket. Maze heads up the stairs for further inspection of the home, giving Chloe a pity thumbs up.

“Hey, Detective? I think there’s something you should look at here.”

Lucifer’s trembling voice beckons Chloe to the kitchen. He stands on the opposite side of the refrigerator, eyes wide with horror. When Chloe gains a visual on the appliance’s side, she too is hushed.

A family photo from when her father was alive is magnetically suspended on the fridge. However now there’s additional assistance to keep stuck to the vertical surface: a kitchen knife, straight through Chloe’s torso.

A shaking hand reaches out to touch where the knife pierces into Chloe’s heart. The photograph is forever ruined, the memory forever scarred. Slowly, Chloe grabs hold of the knife’s handle, and rips it out from the refrigerator. She lifts it in front of her face, eye level, inspecting the serrated blade. There’s no blood, of course, but the wound still feels as though it was inflicted on her own body. 

“Detective…” Lucifer rubs her shoulder in an attempt at comfort.

But Chloe doesn’t need comfort.

She steps out of Lucifer’s arm’s length. “This isn’t a wild goose chase anymore. This is personal.” The she squeezes the knife harder. “This is an outright offense on my family. This isn’t my father. Something is controlling his body, and it needs to end.” Chloe tosses the knife onto the kitchen table, and her hand has indents from the hilt deep in its skin. “I just don’t understand _why_ … and I know I’ve already asked this. But this seems deliberate. Not just acting out, which is what you surmised last time about the demon.”

Lucifer ponders this as Chloe texts Maze that they’re leaving. “You’re right. This is planned. I never expected this.” Rubbing his chin, Lucifer heads outside, mind reeling.

Maze appears from the top of the stairwell. “Hey Decker, I think I’ll stay here. Someone has to clean this up.”

“Are you sure? We might still need you, Maze,” Chloe says.

The demon nods. “I don’t think either of us want Trixie to return to this,” she gestures to the room.

“Oh, yes, that’s true,” Chloe didn’t even think of that in all the turmoil. “That would be great. Thanks, Maze.” The demon bows her head, then departs to get started on her endeavor.

Chloe makes to exit the house, then after a second thought, takes down the family portrait from the refrigerator.

When she goes outside, she sees Lucifer pacing around, hand still on his chin. He pivots to her as she approaches.

“At the little shop, the storeowner claimed that your father was yelling your name,” he says.

Chloe tilts her head down. “That’s what he said.”

“And now, he’s targeting your home, specially a picture of you, with him.” Lucifer plays with his onyx ring.

His tell.

Chloe steps closer to Lucifer. “You’re onto something. Think out loud, what is it?”

Lucifer turns away, avoiding Chloe. “I don’t need to think anymore. I’m pretty sure I have it. Most of it, at least.”

Chloe circles Lucifer to stay in front of him. “And?” 

Lucifer’s Adam apple bobs up and down. “I believe your father, or at least what is left of him, is under the impression you are to blame for his murder.”

“What?” Chloe backs away, shaking her head. “That can’t be it…”

Lucifer’s profile casts a dark shadow across his jawline. “Vengeance is one of the most powerful emotions out there, especially for the revived. And with all of these actions sequentially, it’s what makes most sense. He’s wants you dead, since you’re the ‘reason’ for his death.” 

He’s correct, Chloe can feel it. It’s similar to her gut feeling during Palmetto Street.

“What I don’t understand is the motive of my demon,” Lucifer continues. “Because you are correct. This is thought out. Too thought out for just a lower demon. But it’s not arbitrary.”

Trying to make light of the mood, Chloe joke-punches Lucifer in the arm. “Look at you, behaving like a detective. Maybe you _can_ learn.” But it feels empty, just like her energy, with her voice devoid of any emotion.

Lucifer shoots a sad smile at Chloe. “It’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks, but not impossible. It just takes a little while longer.” He turns fully to Chloe. “Time is of the essence. We can’t have your father run into any other humans, it could be potentially dangerous. But now that we know how exactly he’s being controlled he should be easier to follow. Is there anywhere that your father would go, that connects the two of you together? Perhaps that is where he would go next.” 

Chloe’s body goes cold.

“I know exactly where he would go.”

* * *

The car rumbles as they drive up the steep hill to a secluded viewpoint. They climb and climb in silence, apprehension gripping the air in the vehicle.

Chloe has no idea what her reaction is going to be once she comes face-to-face with the resurrected body of her father. She hopes she’ll have what it takes to do what is necessary, to do what she could never imagine herself doing ever. Not in a million years.

The quickening dusk forces Chloe to turn on her headlights. As she reaches the peak of the hill, the emittance casts a silhouette on a secluded bench that Chloe and her father used to frequent. A shadow of a broad, short man—but Chloe can’t tell if it’s facing them, or out across the Valley.

The figure doesn’t move even as Chloe turns off the car engine, and exits the vehicle synchronously with Lucifer. She doesn’t take her eyes off of the black splotch, doesn’t hear the rustling of leaves in the wind as she starts to walk closer, doesn’t feel Lucifer try to reach out to her as she reaches for her father’s body.

 “ _Chloe Decker._ ”

Her father—or at least whatever had taken over her father—spoke, and chills shot down Chloe’s spine, stopping her in her tracks. The voice is so similar to her father, and it sends her back to her childhood, back before _Hot Tub High School_ came out, when she was happy. But there’s a sinister tone in it, one that was never present when John Decker was alive. It scratches at the air, withering its vibrations, wilting in its vitality. It’s her dad’s voice, but it’s long gone.

But she can’t help it. She’s thrown back to being a nineteen-year-old, longing for her father once more.

“Daddy?” Her eyes tear up, and Chloe wills them away, wanting to take in as much of this moment as possible.

The figure twists in its seat, moving partially into the setting sun’s rays.

The decaying face of John Decker peers at Chloe over its shoulder. Slightly reminiscent of Voldemort, her father’s nose has fallen off, leaving just slits of what was once there. His eye has turned a jaundice-colored along with the rest of his body. There’s gaps of skin missing in his neck, and when he rises from his seat, Chloe notices her father’s body has lost an entire right arm.

But there’s no mistaking it, this used to be her father.

“ _There you are,_ ” the resurrected body scratches out. “ _I knew you would come. Couldn’t let the job go unfinished._ ”

Chloe shakes her head vigorously. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Lucifer steps up, taking her hand and squeezes hard. “Detective, you shouldn’t—“

“ _You_ killed _me, and yet have the audacity to talk back to your father?_ ” The figure now approaches, tugging along the foul stench of decay. The remaining limb raises menacing in the air. “ _I guess you must be taught a lesson… perhaps a fatal one_.”

In a blink of an eye, John Decker accelerates at Chloe. His speed is uncanny, too fast for a zombie, and Lucifer barely moves Chloe in time.

“Detective, please, this isn’t right. We need to dispose of this, before it’s too late.”

“Dispose?” Chloe repeats, still entranced by seeing her father walk again. “I just got him back, you want me to kill him?”

Lucifer doesn’t get an opportunity to respond before there’s another leap at the couple. This time, Lucifer holds out an arm to block the attack. Mouth open ready for confrontation, at the last second Decker stops, avoiding Lucifer.

“That was odd,” he notes, shielding Chloe. Growling, Decker starts circling the pair.

“Let me go, he won’t hurt me,” Chloe says. Despite what she’s seen, there’s still the resolution that family is family in her mind. The assurance runs deep her veins; nothing can break the bond of blood. 

Lucifer shakes his head. “Detective, _think_. This man isn’t your father, as I’ve said before. Snap out of it. We’re in danger. Or at least you are.”

John finds an opening, and swipes at Chloe.

Lucifer tries to move in the way, but he’s too delayed. Like slow motion, Chloe watches the claw-like nails which grip a shiv descend upon her. Instincts take over, and she sidesteps to avoid the weapon, but it grazes her forearm. It leaves a shallow streak of bright red.

She stares at her arm as the zombie-like creature lets out a gurgle of mania.

 _She’s so blind_. This—creature, whatever it is—needs to be gotten rid of. It’s not her dad. That’s finally sunk in. If it was, despite everything, he would have found a way to protect his daughter. But instead, he laughed when she was injured.

“My gun,” she whispers, patting down herself. _Shit. Right._ Her official gun was taken away from her. She sidesteps from Lucifer’s protection. “My backup gun; it's in my car!" 

She can feel Lucifer relax slightly now that she’s escaped her slight delusion. But he is still tense. “I can’t hurt it, seeing as it’s a product of Hell. We’ll need to make a break for your car.”

Chloe nods in understanding. “On three. One, two… three!” And they break off into a sprint.

With a roar, John Decker takes after them, specifically targeting Chloe. She thinks if he had all four limbs, he would have gotten down on all fours for the chase. Thankfully he’s wobbly on his feet, having not used them for more than a decade now. Yet with his supernatural circumstances, he still manages to catch up to Chloe.

“ _I need you, Chloe! Why do you run away?_ ” He reaches out with is one arm, trying to drag her down. Knowing Lucifer has her back, she only focuses on getting herself to the car which is only a few yards away now. 

As she trusted, Lucifer bats away her father’s arm. “Leave her alone!” He yells, full of hatred. With a roar, he dives, tripping John as Chloe continues to her car. She pushes harder now upon hearing the shrieks and growls coming from behind her.

“ _Let me go!”_ Her father yells, and the sound of clothes ripping fills the air. That’s not going to make Lucifer very happy.

“Never,” Lucifer says, and there’s the sound bodies tumbling on the ground. “If you want her so bad, why don’t you fight me?”

“ _I know you cannot hurt me,”_ her father responds. Chloe rummages through the car, frantically looking for her gun. “ _And I cannot hurt you._ ”

After unlocking her glove compartment (she learned from that unfortunate event with the school lady), Chloe spins, gun at the ready. Lucifer pins her ‘father’ on the ground with one large hand, his face full of disgust and anger.

“What do you mean?” Lucifer ask.

Aiming her gun, Chloe squints an eye. The two Hell-beings tumble on the ground after Lucifer loses his hold. She can’t get a true shot, not without the possibility of hitting Lucifer. And with her so close to him, the bullet would most definitely hurt.

“Lucifer, get out of the way!” She yells at him. But Lucifer still tries to hold her father down, despite that fact he can’t inflict any harm him. “I’ll have a clear shot if you just move!”

They grapple at each other, Lucifer trying to keep the disintegrating body close to him, the other trying to shove away from the Devil. “Tell me what you mean!”

Showing more strength than its lack of muscles would suggest, John Decker kicks out at Lucifer, propelling him away. He rolls a few times until he regains his balance, Chloe tracking him with her gun the entire time. Her finger is on the trigger, why doesn’t she just pull it?

When ‘John’ composes himself, he speaks to Lucifer. “ _You must return home. Your true home beckons you._ ” It looks to Chloe. “ _With her gone, there’s nothing keeping you here. And I will have my revenge.”_ Unsteady, it hefts itself up.

It looks like Lucifer has turned pale. “Detective, shoot! What are you waiting for?”

Her chances of directly hitting her target increase exponentially with each inch that it approaches her. But her finger still hovers next to the trigger, wavering in confidence. No matter how much she’s convinced herself the being getting closer isn’t her father, no matter how confident her father is happy somewhere in heaven, she can’t bring herself to wound the body that once held the pure soul of her father. It feels wrong, it goes against her training, like going against the grain.

He’s too close now, she has to do it. Closing her eyes, Chloe turns away to pull the trigger— 

_Oof!_

She’s tackled to the ground, her gun flying to the side. The reek of death surrounds her, triggering her gag reflex. But that’s the least of her worries, at this crazy creature rears up to slash her with a makeshift dagger.

Fighting against it, Chloe knocks the weapon, leaving them both to fend the other off with only fists. Chloe has the advantage, having both of her hands, but the creature is ruthless. They wrestle, and unlike Lucifer’s standoff with the being, they inflict damage on each other relentlessly. Chloe scratches at its face, dead skin peeling away to reveal bone and worms underneath. ‘John’ grabs her throat a few times in an attempt to choke her, but Chloe wiggles out the his grasp. 

Eventually, the weight is lifted off of Chloe as Lucifer hefts ‘John,’ and tosses him to the side. The creature rolls, weak from its collision with Chloe.  
  
Everyone takes a moment to catch their breath, on edge. Or in the creature's case, summon up more strength from an unknown source.

“I don’t think I can do it,” Chloe admits to Lucifer. “I tried, I really did. But I can’t shoot him. All I see is my dad, no matter how hard I try.”

A look of resignation falls on Lucifer’s face. “I understand, Chloe,” he says. He closes his eyes, and takes a deep breath. Leaning down, he kisses Chloe longingly, as if he were saying goodbye. When they part, Chloe’s mouth dries up. 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my word,” Lucifer whispers, mere centimeters from her. 

“What? Lucifer? What’s happening?” Chloe asks. His eyes dropping, Lucifer walks over to ‘John’ resigned. Chloe tries to get up, but only manages to rise to all fours. Her body is exhausted, her mind weary.

With a strong hand, Lucifer lifts ‘John’ by the back of his neck. Snarling, Lucifer says to him, “You’re coming with me, and never hurting Chloe or her family again. I’ll make sure of that.”

‘John’ writhes in Lucifer’s hold, unable to shake him off. “ _Let me at her. I need her, I need my revenge!_ ”

Crawling to them, Chloe becomes desperate. “Lucifer, what are you doing?”

Lucifer’s eyes are filled with the most sadness Chloe has ever seen. “It’s the only way, Chloe,” he says. “I can’t make you kill him, and I can’t harm him. I need to take him down with me.”

Chloe’s body chills. “To _Hell?_ ” Lucifer nods. “But you’ll come back?”

“It’s a one-way trip, I’m afraid,” comes the quiet reply. “Without my wings, I haven’t got a way to return.” Lucifer’s voice cracks as the grass around him starts to ignite in a circle. Somehow, he’s incanting a ritual to send him back to Hell. “I’m so sorry, Chloe.”

She’s trying to reach him as quickly as possible, but she fears she’ll be too late. The sparks encapsulating Lucifer, become stronger, fiercer. Chloe resorts to fighting with her voice. “I told you, Lucifer, that you can’t sacrifice yourself for me! You _promised_ me!” 

Something in Lucifer’s face breaks. “And that’s the first time I’ve ever lied,” he admits. “I could never put myself above you, Chloe. I love you. I’m sorry that I let you down.” Just as Chloe reaches out a trembling hand to the flame, fire consumes him. The heat doesn’t burn her, and instead brushes off a kiss of farewell. They erupt, then blow away, leaving a burnt patch of weeds and flora.

And nothing else.

Lucifer is gone.

He went back to Hell, for her. He went back to the place he hated for centuries, for her. He left Maze, Lux, his _life,_ to protect Chloe.

And there's no coming back this time.

She doesn’t know how she’ll ever be able to recover.

**Author's Note:**

> Angst is good for the soul ;)  
> PS I thought Chloe might have gotten OOC a few times, but seeing as this case was *super* emotional, I kinda let it slide...
> 
> my tumblr: beans-shadow


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